Beauty Prep School

Nail Art That's Easier To DIY Than It Looks

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Nail art has gotten a bad rap for being difficult to do at home — and understandably so. From sushi designs to 3-D embellishments to something called the Nailympics, it's natural to assume you'd need to hire a pro artist to paint such a tiny canvas. But, judging by what we've seen on the runways, things are moving away from in-your-face and getting more low-key — and we're breaking down one of our favorite looks for you right here.

With the help of nail-art guru Miss Pop and some inspiration from Fashion Week, we created a simple cutout manicure — which essentially uses the negative space around a design to enhance it without screaming, "Look, nail art!" Not only is this mani crazy-easy (seriously, all you need is artist tape and polishes from essie's latest winter collection), it's also a great way to sneak in a pop of color and some cutouts, even if you work in a traditional corporate environment.